Release device



Nov. 15, 1932. A. c. ROWLEY 1,888,182,

RELEASE DEVICE Filed June 11, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 15, 1932. A RQWLEY 1,888,182

RELEASE DEVICE Filed June 11. 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 g 21226 a MMM NOV. 15, 1932. Q RQWLEY 1,888,182

RELEASE DEVICE Filed June 11, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 NOV. 15, 1932. 'A c ROWLEY RELEASE DEVICE Filed June 11, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 23 confacis V v a r r W w W W M M w w W M I a A .L A M W 7 W :2 a a E m ln w w M /m Patented Nov. 15, 1932 j' T TE-s PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR C. ROWLEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GLOBE AUTO-1.

MATIC SPRINKLER COMPANY, OF PHILADE TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Application filed June 11,

Ll ma, v PENNSYLVANIA, A- CORPORA- i RELEASE nnvron 1930.; Serial .No. 460,511. i

is to provide a device of this character which j shall be simplein form,*positive in operation 5 and unaffected by atmosphere brother variable external conditions. I

Another object of the inventionis to provide a release device of general application which also shall be particularly well suited for use in conjunction with thermosensitive control means. I A further object of the invention-is'to provide a release device adapted for remote control throughfthe medium of electrical current.

Still .anotherobject ofthe invention isto provide a release device including an electric motor or actuator in which provision is-made for breaking the motor circuit when the de- 29 vice is actuated. J V Still another object of'the invention is'to provide a release device of the general character of thatdisclosed in my copending application Serial Number 314,511, filed October 23, 1928, in which the evacuating operation is accomplished through the medium of an electric exhauster.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for detecting whenthe release device has been tampered with.

The invention further resides in certain novel andstructural details and devices hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the attached drawings,in which: V

Figure 1 is aside elevation of a release device made inaccordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the de vice with the cover-plate removed; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram showing the electrical circuit, and j Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic perspective .showing details of the indicator mechanism.

With reference to thedrawings, my device in one embodiment comprises a casing 1 which in the present instance is shown securedto and supported by 'a bracket 2. The' casing 1 comprises aliingedcover-plate 3 to stance, this lo-ad'is shown in the form of a ing lever 5, this lever as shown in Fig. 1 having a projecting arm'6 adapted'to sup-- port an external load. In the present 1n weight 7 which is carried by a lever 8 in operative association with a second lever 9, this latter being an element of a valvemechanism 11 forming a part of the fluid ystem of fire extinguishing apparatus. i As best illustrated in Fig. 3, the lever 5 has a hooked extremity 12 which is adapted to project into the casingjthrough a suitable aperture in the cover-plate 3, and-a latch element 13'pivotally,mounted at 14 in the interior of thecasing lis adapted to engage v and interlock with the. said hooked extrem ity 12 to thereby retain the lever 5 in an elevated position, as illustratedin the drawings. A spring 15 tends to retain the for: ward or lever-engaging portion of the latch 13 in an elevated or locking'positio'n as illustrated. Preferably, the hooked end12 of the lever 5 is provided with a suitablewashor 16 which engages the cover-plate, 3 around the aperture therein through which the said hooked extremity projects and thereby effectively seals this opening'at such times as the lever is in theelevated latched position.

vThe latch 13 has operatively associated therewithv a depending arm 17 the lower end ofwhich is adapted to engage a shoulder 18 on an arm 19 secured toaa shaft 21, which latter is suitably journaled in the casing and projects through the latter asillustrated in .der 18 as illustratedin Fig. 3, the arm 17 is Fig. 2; The shaft 21 has on the outer projecting end thereof a knurled knob. 22 by means of which this shaft may be rocked in its bearings. When engaged with the shoulprevented from moving inwardly to free the latch 13 from the upper hooked extremity of the load-supporting lever 5 whereby the latter is retained in theelevated or loadsupporting position. The shaft 21 also car ries a secondarm 23 which projects upwardly and at its-upper end is adaptedto lie behind a shoulder 24 of a lever 25, this lever being pivotally supported in the casing upon a pin 26 and extending rearwardly into interlocking engagement with a lever 27 also pivotally mounted in the casing at 28. The lever 27 carries a cross piece 29 under which the rear end of the lever 25 is adapted to lie, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and when soheld this rearend of the lever 25 is prevented. from elevating to release the arm 23 from the shoulder 24 whereby the arm 23 functions to prevent oscillation of the shaft 21 to release the depending viously set forth from the shoulder 18 of the lever 19.

It will be noted that the aperture or apertures in the lever 25 throu'glrwhich the supporting pivot pin 26 extends is slotted in a more or less vertical direction whereby the forward end of the lever 25 is afforded a limited free vertical movement controlled by a leaf spring 31 secured in the casing and bearing upon the upper edge'o-f the forward end'of the said lever 25. When the lower end of the lever 27 is moved'rearwardly or totheleft, see Fig. 3, against the tension of a spring 32 which tends to hold the lever in the advanced position, the rear end of the lever 25 is freed and the latter is thereby permitted to 'move upwardly around the pivot 26 to an extent'freeing the arm 23, this resultin-gthrough the intervening elements in a'release of the latch element 13 and of the load-supporting lever 5. Following release of the arm 23 by the lever 25,"the rear end of the latter is permitted to move downwardly and is supported by a pin33'in the casing which extends under the said rear end of the lever, as illustrated in'Fig. 3.

The lower bifurcated end of the lever 27 is engaged behind ahead 34 ona stem 35, which latter projects through an opening in the cover member 36 within the easing 1 and is secured at its inner end to a flexible diaphragm '37. This diaphragm, as shown in Fig. 3, is mounted'within a chamber 38 within the casing 1, the inner side of which chamber isentirely closed with the. exception of a port 39 which communicates through a second port 41 with a closed chamber 42 formed between a pair of flexible diaphragms 43 and 44. One of these diaphragms is secured to the fixture 45 which contains the port 41, while the other diaphragm is secured through the medium of a stud 46 with a plunger 47 of a solenoid 48, this solenoid being supported in the casing upon-a bracket 49, see Figs. 2 and 4. Energization of the solenoid 48 results in an elevation of the plunger 47 and a separation of the diaphragms 43 and 44, this separation tending to evacuate the chamber 6 '38 and to draw inwardly the diaphragm 37 V I 07 and with it the stem 35. Thisretraction of the stem 35 also retracts the lower end of the lever 27 and releases the rear end of the lever '25 from under the element 29. By reason of the advantageous leverages a very slight force exerted throughthe stem 35- is sufficient to relever 17 as pre-- tract the lever 27 as described. It is, therefore, apparent that energization of the solenoid 48 effects a release of the load-supporting lever 5, which is, therefore, permitted to swing outwardly around its pivot or to release the weight 7.

ountedwithin the casing 1 is a cylinder 51,

which cylinder carries a plunger 52 and a spring 1 53 which tends to retain .thelplunger in theforward end oflthe cylinder. .The

plunger 52 carriesa-stem 54 which projects through an opening in the forward end of the cylinder and through the cover plate 3, see-Fig. 3,tobe engaged by the lever 5 when the latter is in the elevated or latched position whereby' the plunger is moved rearwardly. in the cylinder and retained in this position against the pressure of the spring 53: so long asthe lever'5 is in the elevated position. "It will be noted that theplunger 52 is composed of an electrical insulatingmaterial. :This plunger also carries a rear metallic. extension 55 which projects into the hollow interior of an insulating sleeve 56. The rear='extremity of the element-55is bifurcated, and when the plunger is moved inwardly by pressure of thelever 5 upon the stem 54, the bifurcated portions are adapted to bear. re siliently and respectively. against the T inner ends of a pair of contact elements 57 .fand 58,- these elements being connected" in series in the solenoid circuit whereby this circuit is complete only when the plunger-52 is inthe retracted position or when the lever T5 is elevated and latched in the load-supporting position. When the lever 5 is released, it will be apparent that the spring 53 functions to advance; the plunger-52 in theoylinder-and to withdraw the contact member 55 from-engagement'with the elements 57 and58 whereby the circuit is broken. This prevents a continued application of current to the solenoid following release-of the load.

Following release of the' mechanism "by evacuation of the chamber 38 as described above, a spring-pressed detent element 59, pivotally mounted in the top of the casing.- is moved downwardly by" the spring 61intoia position preventing elevation of the latch 13 into the lever-retainingposition until such time as the lever 5 is again elevated and brought into the latched position. It will be noted by reference to Fig. 3' that the element 59 is in the path of the inner hooked end of the lever 5 whereby the latter engages the said element and moves it rearwardly into an inoperative position with respect to the latch 13 when the lever 5 ismoved' into the latched position. This element" 59 prevents. resetting of the mechanism in the casing before the lever 5 is in the latched position,

nism following release, the slotted opening in the lever 25 for the pivot pin 26 permits movement upwardly of the forward end of this lever required to enable the lever 23 to be brought forward into the position shown in Fig. 3. When the lever 23 clears the shoulder 24 in this forward or resetting movement, the spring 31 moves the lever 25 downwardly so that the upper end of the arm 23 is, engaged by the shoulder 24, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The spring 53 acting through the plunger 52 and stem 54 also exerts a pressure on the lever 5 tending to throw this lever sharply out when the latch 13 is released.

Referring to the diagrammatic views of Figs. 5 and 6, it will be noted that I have indicated a shunt circuit across. the thermostatic switch, this circuit and the parts associated therewith being optional and in no way affecting the general operation of the mechanism as described above. The shunt circuit includes a telltale indicator and a suitable resistor which permits a specified relatively small amount of current to flow through the circuit under the normal conditions and when the thermostatic switch is open. The telltale indicator is of a. type releasable by an interruption in the flow of current, such for example as when the switch designated 555758 is open. Thus as shown in Fig. 6, the indicator may comprise an electromagnet 61 and a pivoted arm 62 normally retained by magnetic force in an elevated position as shown, the arm 62 having at its outer extremity an element 63 which, when the arm is elevated as shown, is not visible, but which becomes visible when the arm 62 is released and falls downwardly by grav ity. In operation, the circuit of the solenoid 48 is normally opened by rising of the thermostatic switch, which closes only under abnormal temperature conditions in the area in which the switch is located. As previously stated, however, the shunt circuit permits a small amount of current to flow which is insuflicient to actuate the solenoid 48, but is suf: ficient to hold the arm 62 of the telltale indicator in the elevated position. When the thermostatic switch closes, sufficient current flows through the circuit to actuate the solenoid 48 with a consequent release through the mechanism described above. Release of the mechanism permits the switch 55-57 58 to open which entirely breaks the circuit and deenergizes not only the solenoid 48 but the electromagnet 61, whereupon the arm 62 falls downwardly and the indicator element 63 becomes visible. If the release mechanism is now'reset so that the switch 555758 is again closed, the element 63 of the telltale indicator remaining visible indicates that the device has been tampered with. Means is provided whereby the arm 62 may be elevated a valuable adjunct of the release mechanism described above.

It will 'be understood thatthere may-be considerable modification in the, mechanism herein described without departure from the inventionas defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a release device, a movable member, means for locking said member in predetermined position including. a retractible latch, a flexible diaphragm connected with and operative by an unbalance of fluid pressure at opposite sides-thereof to retract the latch, and electrically-actuated means for creatinga differing fluid pressure on opposite sides of the diaphragm.

2. In a release device, a movable member, means. for locking said member in predetermined position including a retractible latch, a flexible diaphragm connected with and operative by an'unbalance of fluid pressure at opposite sides thereof to retract the latch, electrically-actuated means for creating a difl'erent fluid pressure on opposite sides of the diaphragm, and meansautomatically operative as a result of the retraction of the latch-for deenergizing the said electrical means.

3. In a release device, a movable member, means for locking said memberin predetermined position, electrically-operated means for releasing said locking means, and means automatically operative by release of the locking means to deenergize said electricalmeans.

V 4. In a release device, a movable member, means for locking said member in predeter-' mined position, electrically operated means 7 for releasing said locking means, aswitch; controlling the said electrical means, and means for automatically releasing the switch and for maintaining said release when the said locking means is released. 7

5. In a release device, a movable member, means for locking said member 1n predetermined'position, electrical release means for said lock, aswitch controlling said electrical means, a spring tending to open the switch and to retain it in the open position, and means for retaining the switch closed only when the said member is in the locked position.

6. In a release device, a movable member, means for locking said member in predeter mined position, electrically-operated means for releasing said locking. means, said electrical means including a normally closed circuit with means for limiting the amount of current flowing therethrough, means for short circuiting said limiting means to thereby permit a relatively large flow of current, and a switch actuated as a result of actuation of said short-circuiting means for breaking the circuit.

ARTHUR G. ROWLEY. 

